Is the Philippines truly owned by Filipinos? Or are its poor natives mere pawns of the demigods of human society?
To clear things off, I am no activist. Yes, I do bear grudges towards the system, yet not enough to send my precious hide camping in the mountains.
But then again, you do not need to be a patriot to notice that the average Filipino works his ass off even on Sundays on a job that underestimates his ability, gets crap for pay and is denied of what his taxes are for: water, phone lines and security. Even in middle class areas, water is never available whenever it is needed and electricity bills take up most of the family budget.
Yes, one may say that they don't belong in those slums, but chances are that they belong to the upper ten percent of this country.
And in my opinion, there are only four types of people who make it to these heights. First, those who actually work their asses off despite the ridicule of their peers. Then there are those foreigners who chose to live here so that they can enjoy(exploit?) the benefits of their mercantile skills on a race who literally drop their jaws on anything foreign. Then, there are those whom I like to call "children of luck", those who instantly become filthy rich thanks to, well, luck.
Finally, there are those who have mastered the dark art of politics.
The point is that wherever one goes in this country, whether one pays his or her taxes correctly and on time & no matter how good one is to others, power, money and influence are still the deciding points on how well a person lives in this country.
The people who built, repair and maintain the place don't get to own it. Instead, abusive megalomaniacs talk their way into an average Juan's brain, eventually getting what they want.
The average Filipino, though skilled and talented, has to park behind the No Parking sign.
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